Gasket for flexible pipe joints



Feb. 9, 1932.

T. H. MANCHESTER ETAL 1,843,927

GASKET FOR FLEXIBLE PIPE JOINTS Filed April 5, 1930 Patented Feb. 9, 1932 UNITED STATES' PATENT carica THoMAs rr. MANCHESTER AND'EDWARD A. RUSSELL, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AssIsNons y' j To VAPOR CAR HEATING COMPANY, INc., orfcHIoAGo, ILLINOIS, A ooRroItATIoNl OF NEW YORK GASKET FOR FLEXIBLE PIPE J'OINTS Application filed April 5, 1930. lSerial No. 441,922.

steam or other fluid at the joint between the I swiveled metallic members.

Thev flexible metallic conduit structure comprises a plurality of conduit or pipefsections, the meeting ends of each adjacent pair of sections being swivelled together, and since all of these swivelled joints are substantially similar, only one pair of sections and the 1n-v terposed sealing meanswi'll be here shown. yand described. A nipple formed on the end of .one conduit section extends into and is swiveled within the outer endlportion of a socket formed in the'end of the other con- A duit section. The improved gasketfmember is formed to simultaneously engage the end of the nipple and the outer wall of the socket between the nipple and the inner end of the socket. The gasket has an enlarged head orl collar engaging the end of the nipple, andV there is a metallic ferrule engaging the inner surfaces of the gasket and urged into op- .erative position by a compression spring confined within the socket so as to force the gasket into sealing engagement with the two conduit members.

The principal objectv of the invention is to provide an improved sealing assembly for j use in combination with a pair of telescoped conduit sections, such as briefly described hereinabove and disclosed more in 'detail in the specifications which follow.l

Other objects and advantages of this in-I ventionwill be more apparent from the following detailed description of one approved form of apparatus embodying the principles of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a central vertical section through two articulated sections of the flexible metallic conduit structure, with the improved sealing means positioned therein.

Fig. 2 is-a sectional perspective view of the improved gasket member.

Fig. 3 is a similar sectional perspective View of the ferrule.

- rEhe adjacent end portions of two of the 'metallic conduit or pipe sections of the iiexible metallic conduit structure are indicated at A and B. It will be understood that the entire flexible conduit `structure is composed of a series of these metallic pipe sections, provided with suitable elbow bends to give the desired form to the flexible conduit.V This flexible conduit structure may be yused "in the steam or other lines connecting two ad jacent cars of a railway train, and the up-l per section B may be supported from one of the cars by the.mechanismindicated generally at C. A means indicated generallyat D is provided for articulating the twosections A and B togethenthat is for preventing Y their separation by the pressure of the fluid confinedtherein, and E indicates generally the means for sealing the swiveled jaws between the sections to prevent the escape of steam or other fluid which is carried within the conduit; The present invention is concerned morejparticularly with-the specific form of thel sealing means E, the other parts here illustrated being of known construction. 1 The metallic conduit section'A is formed at one end with an elbow bend l, terminating in an enlarged head 2 in .which .is a cylindrical socket 3 of greater outer diameter than the bore of the conduit structure. The mating end of tlLeconduit` structure B is formed with an elbow bend 4L terminating in an annular nipple 5 adapted to fit snugly within the outer end portion ofsocket 8, and to swivel within this socket about the axis of the bore of theconduitstructures. An outer annular iange 6 limits the projection ofnipple 5 into the socket 3.

Gn the outer surface ofthe elbow 4i' ofv conduit section Bis formed an outwardly projecting stud'or gudgeon 7 positioned concentric with the axis of the swiveled end portions of the conduit sections, and preferably projvded with a conical end portion 8. A brack-k et 9,v secured by bolt l0 or other equivalent 7, and into which this bearing stud projects. A bushing or bearing block 13 of suitable anti-friction material is formed with a socket having cylindrical and conical portions in which the stud 7 is adapted to engage. The bearing block 13 is enclosed in a metallic thimble 1A adapted to seat within the cylindrical socket 12 in bracket 9. A passage 15 in the rear wall of bracket 9 permits the insertion of a tool to remove th.J thrust bearing assembly when desired, and a steel reinforcing plate or washer 16 is mounted in the bottom of thimble lll and behind the bearing block 13. lt will be apparent that the thrust bearing thus provided will prevent longitudinal `leparation of the telescoped conduit sections A and B, while at the same time permitting free relative rotation of these members about tle central axis et the conduit.

'lhe inner end portion of nipple 5 is tapered or beveled outwardly, as indicated at 17. The end of the bore of this annulary nipple is also recessed, as indicated at 18., to receive the end of the metallic terule, hereinafter described. The improved gasket 19 is formed of suitable composition material and is provided ith a head or collar 2O at one end of substantially the same inner diameter as the recessed end portion of nipple 5, and the eno surface of collar 20 is beveled inwardly, as at 2l, to lit against the outwardly beveled end portion 17 of the nipple. A thinner cylindrical portion 22 of the gasket extends from the collar 9.0 substantially to the opposite end of the socket 3, and bears against the outer wall of the socket. A metallic errule (see F ig. comprises a larger cylindrical portion 23 of suitable size to tit wi thin the thinner cylindrical portion 22 of the gasket, and a smaller cylindrical portion 24 of suitable size to lit within the head or collar Q0 of the gasket, and of suiiicient length to overlap the adjacent end of the nipple and extend into the recess 18. The inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 2A of the errule is preferably'substantially the same as the inner diameter of the bore or conduit formed in the sections A and B. A radially extending shoulder 25 connects the two cylindrical portions Q3 and 24 of the ferrule and is adapted to bear against the shoulder 26 formed at the inner side of collar 2O of the gasket. A compression spring 27 is confined between the shoulder E25 of the terrule and the annular shoulder 9.8 formed t the inner end orp socket 3.

lt will new be apparent that the spring 27 will tend to expand and force the errule outwardly so as to force the collar 2O on the gasket into iirm engagement with the end oi the nipple. At the same time the engaging beveled faces of the gasket and errule willA tend to force the gasket outwardly so asvto torni a lirm engagement with the outer wall of 4socket 3 in the conduit member A. The

larger cylindrical portion 23 tends to hold the thinner portion 22 of the gasket in iirm sealing engagement with the outer walls of socket 3, the fluid pressure within the conduit members also serving to force the gasket member into lirm engagement with both of the conduit sections. As the thrust bearing block 13 wears away, the conduit sections will tend to gradually separate, that is, the nipple 5 will move slightly out oi' the socket 3, but the spring 27 will cause the gasket member to follow up the nipple and maintain the sealing engagement. Although the portion 22 of the gasket will ordinarily extend the full length of the socket, it may in time move away from the inner end 2S of the socket, due to shrinkage of the gasket or the outward movement of nipple 5, but the sealing engagement will still be maintained against bot-h the end of nipple 5 and the outer wall of socket 3 in the conduit section A. lt will be apparent that this sealing assembly is easily inserted or replaced within the joint, andV is quite simple and economical of manufacture and etlicient in service.

ldlc claim: 4 ln a metallic conduit structure, a pair of conduit members, one orn which is formed at the e'id with an annular nipple projecting swiveled within the outer end of an annular socket formed in the end porof 'the other conduit member, the end -he nipple being beveled outwardr, there also being an annular recess formed the inner sur vce ot the end portion of the -ipple to receive the end of a errule, a coml.-osition gasket comprising an annular end collar having an inwardly beveled end collar engage the end of the nipple, the collar being el" substantially the same inner diameter the recessed end portion ot the nipple, and a relatively thin annular portion extending trom the collar substantially to the inner end of the socket and engaging the outer wall of the socket, metallic rerrule having a larg- :cylindrical portion engaging within the .inn portion ot the gasket, a smaller cylindrical portion engaging within the gasket collar and within the recess inthe nipple, and a radially ektending shoulder connecting the. two cylindrical portions and engaging behind the end. collar of the gasket, and comp 'ession spring confined between the shoulder of the rule and the inner end of the socket.

THOMAS lvl. MANCHESTER. EDTWARD A. RUSSELL.

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